The Sickness of the Messiah: Theology and the Anthropology of Medicine

For the faithful the advent of the Millennium signifies the end of sickness and suffering. Here I argue for another position in relation to Jewish Messianism – that the sickness of the Messiah is an integral part of, and indeed essential to, the millennial scenario. I discuss two Jewish messianic claimants, Sabbatai Sevi who suffered from what we would now call manic depression and the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Schneerson who suffered from a stroke. I argue that, like Jesus, their suffering can be understood through a similar template- the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53). Finally from a religious perspective their sickness represents a process of purification and atonement as they undergo a process of descent to purify the souls of sinners.

Keywords: Millennium, sickness, suffering , purification, Messiah.